Strategic planning has guided much of Santa Clara’s success over the past two decades. This planning enables us to realize our vision and establish our distinctiveness in the competitive environment of higher education. Thus, our planning looks both inward at our own needs and aspirations, and outward at opportunities and risks in the world.

An effective strategic plan must be selective, identifying targeted priorities rather than addressing all of the University’s needs and activities. We will have much important work to do over the next five years that is not mentioned in this plan, but the priorities identified here will make the greatest difference in strengthening Santa Clara at this time.

Like our previous strategic plans, this plan is rooted in our Jesuit commitment to academic excellence. The plan reflects Santa Clara’s vision of creating an academic community—faculty, staff, students, and alumni—that educates citizens and leaders of competence, conscience, and compassion and cultivates knowledge and faith to build a more humane, just, and sustainable world.

Our strategic priorities will advance our vision by strengthening our ability to provide students with a holistic education, empowering them to shape the world that humanity deserves. These priorities will inform more specific objectives and guide the next level of planning. The priorities, along with the Campus Master Plan and the desire to bolster other programs such as athletics, student life, and alumni engagement will also help shape and inspire the goals of the University’s next comprehensive campaign.